The Exiles
by Shadows of Vanity
Summary: Response to whitetigerwolf's Huntress Challenge. Perseus Jackson had thought he had done the right thing when he defied Fate to save Bianca and Zoe's lives. Instead, he found himself betrayed in his sleep. Forcefully turned into a woman by Artemis, accompanied only by Thalia, he ran. Exiled himself from the world, to find those that were broken by the gods. More/pairing inside!
1. Forsaken

Hello everyone, and welcome to the _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ fanfiction entitled _The Exiles._

There will be minor crossover elements: character names, appearances, abilities, and the like. Nothign more than though, and likely done sparingly as well.

This story is a challenge fic, my first challenge fic actually, and is based off of whitetigerwolf's Huntress Challenge for _Percy Jackson and the Olympians._ Thus, I ask you to be gentle in your evaluation, as actually having to meet criteria, but not do the same thing as others who have done the challenge, is really rather difficult. The challange is as follows:

Requirements:

-Artemis turns Percy Jackson into a girl **(Accepted, because that is the whole point of the challange)**

- Poseidon must hit on the female Percy, before he realizes that Percy is his...uh, son/daughter? (That's kinda confusing actually. Although, considering this is dealing with the Ancient Greek Gods, that wouldn't necessarily keep Poseidon from trying to get in a female Percy's pants not that I exactly like the idea, but I do feel I need to point that out.) **(Awkward as hell, and a little difficult to do, but not impossible. Accepted.)**

- Percy must spend some time with the Hunter's of Artemis **(Yeah, umm...that won't be happening for a good while. Eventually though, so accepted.)**

- Percy must remain a girl for at least one-month **(It will be a perma-change, so accepted, naturally)**

Recommended

- FemPercy/other girl, especially Artemis though. **(Not going to give to much away, but fem!Percy/Artemis/Hestia/Thalia is guranteed with Others? being guranteed, but the others are for me to know, and you to find out when I feel like it. Accepted, duh.)**

- Percy remaining a girl and joining the Hunters of Artemis **(This one is a little nebulous right now. It depends on where the plot bunnies take us, so I'll leave it at possible, even likely, but not guranteed.)**

Please be aware that some characters might be slightly OOC. Hopefully, I can limit that though.

SUMMARY: Response to whitetigerwolf's Huntress Challenge. Perseus Jackson had thought he had done the right thing when he defied Fate to save Bianca's and Zoe's lives. Instead, he found himself betrayed in his sleep. Forcefully turned into a woman by Artemis, accompanied only by Thalia, he ran, forsaken. Exiled himself from the world, to find those that were broken by the gods. But though the future looks bleak, and all appears lost for the world and those in it, one thing must be remembered:

What was broken can be reforged.

Pairing is fem!Percy/Thalia earlier on, with Fem!Percy/Thalia/Hestia/Artemis/Others later on.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

The Exiles

Chapter One

Forsaken

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

_ "Perseus Jackson cannot exist past midnight tomorrow. He has interfered with the very threads of Fate and Time themselves. The Balance MUST be restored, or all things will crumble. The worlds will end. Defying Fate is one thing, something to be admired, but to change its Fabric is another entirely. Restore the Balance, Artemis, Daughter of Zeus. I suspect you are the only one who can."_

Clotho's words echoed through Artemis' ears as she sat in the Throne Room of Olympus. Her fellow deities were loudly and aggressively discussing Atlas' actions over the past several months, as well as the movement of the other Titans. Everything pointed towards another Titan War, and that was worrisome. Though the gods didn't like to acknowledge it, their demotion to mere myths and legends had reduced their power a great deal, when compared to their strength of old. If her grandfather rose again, the gods may not defeat him again.

"I do not see why you continue to deny it, brother!" she heard Poseidon bellow, his famed temper clearly getting the best of him at her father's continued and staunch denial that Kronos could possibly be rising. She watched as Poseidon's grip on his trident tightened, wisps of mist swirling around it in his great agitation. "Atlas, the Titan General, was freed by Luke Castellan for a very specific purpose. Were it not for my son, he never would have been forced back under the sky, while Artemis would still be there now! Say what you wish about him, but Atlas is no great fool. He would not risk our anger if he was not sure that the endgame would be his!"

"We cut Father into the smallest of pieces with his own scythe, brother! We cast them into Tartarus and reduced his scythe to not but dust!" Zeus snapped stubbornly, face red as his Master Bolt sparked and hissed with energy. "He could not reform naturally and under his own power!"

"The point is, Father, that it might not be under his own power." Artemis interjected, sharing a look with her sister Athena, who was nodding in agreement. "He is clearly being supported by many demigods who, like the son of Hermes, believe that we gods have wronged them too many times to be allowed to rule. Whispers abound that many minor gods and goddesses are leaning towards supporting him for the way they are treated as well."

Her piece said, Artemis returned to her internal struggle.

So what was she to do? Obey the Moirai and destroy the most powerful demigod in centuries, one that was close friends with many prospective Hunters, and respected deeply by her Lieutenant and her newest recruit, Bianca? Doing so would likely not only loose her a great deal of respect and many potential Hunters, but Bianca might leave as well. Even Zoe would not forgive her for a very long time. The boy did save her life, and nearly died doing so, after all. Furthermore, such a choice might doom Olympus and the world itself to Kronos' rule, but if she did not, all realities would tear themselves to pieces. If only there was a way to make Perseus Jackson non-existent without killing him...

Her thoughts were again cut off as her father vanished in a blaze of lightning and a crack of thunder, making her roll her eyes at the petulant theatrical displays of the men in her family as the other gods and goddesses vanished, leaving her alone on her throne. It appeared the meeting was over. Her brow furrowed as she stared into the fire. How could she get rid of "Perseus Jackson" without killing him? Such a thing was impossible, she told herself, before her eyes widened and she shot to her feet, striding towards the door, heading for her waiting chariot. Before she could leave, however, an strong but gentle and warm hand grabbed her shoulder, jerking her to a stop.

Turning back, she found herself face to face with her aunt, Hestia, the eldest Olympian and goddess of the Hearth and Family.

"Hestia?" she asked, surprised. Her aunt preferred to keep to herself ever since she surrendered her throne to stop a war from breaking out between Poseidon and Apollo.

"Be very careful in what you do next, niece." Hestia warned her, the most serious Artemis had ever seen her kind and gentle aunt. Artemis raised an eyebrow, confused, and Hestia elaborated. "I have seen what you plan, for it will affect our family forever. Know that if you mishandle the coming situations and those that follow, Olympus and the world will fall to my father, and all will suffer. Your plan is the only one that will work, I fear, but do not forget who you are doing it to and why. Above all, do not forget why."

Her wisdom imparted, the eldest goddess vanished in a swirl of fire, leaving Artemis staring at the spot where she had stood in confusion and curiosity, before shrugging and departing. Her plan was sound, and arguably would accomplish precisely what needed to be done. If she was lucky, he would choose to serve her, and would be rewarded as he deserved, something she couldn't do due to his current...nature. In fact, this would be part of that reward. Yes, yes, this was good!

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

Percy Jackson was not feeling well. Scratch that, he was in horrible shape. Even after having as much nectar and ambrosia that could be risked without being reduced to a pile of ash, and the cream of the Apollo cabin's Healer crop take a crack at healing his injuries, he was barely capable of being carried out of bed and down the hall to the small, built-in bathroom reserved for the Poseidon cabin's head camper.

Holding up the weight of the entire sky, as it turns out, is very bad for your health. In fact, according to Chiron, Annabeth, and Thalia, he should be dead. Holding up the sky for more than a few minutes should have crushed the life from him, but apparently (he didn't really believe them, but he hurt far too much to argue) he was exceptionally powerful and hardy, even for a son of the Big Three. When he had pointed out that Luke and Annabeth had also held up the sky, with apparently no ill effects, Annabeth quickly retorted by saying that she had only held it for a few moments when Artemis had appeared and taken it from her. As for Luke, she predicted, he had likely not been holding it long by the time she arrived and was tricked into taking it, and he was in horrid shape afterwards. Only the aid of Atlas had helped him recover so fast.

The sound of footsteps on the wooden floor drew his attention, and he turned his head slowly to see Artemis standing in the doorway to his bedroom, an unreadable look on her face. Shaking away his surprise, he tried to sit up and nearly succeeded, only to fall back into the bed, panting from the pain of his exertions.

"Forgive...me...Lady Artemis." he gasped, sweating heavily as pain wracked him. His eyes closed instinctually, and so he missed the concern and fear for him that flooded the goddesses eyes as she saw the condition he was in. "It seems...that getting up to greet you...is beyond me right now."

"Why have you not been healed, foolish boy? Why have you not used nectar and ambrosia, or been healed by my idiot brother's children? Are you so arrogant that you would refuse aid?" she demanded, sounding angry with him, and he chuckled weakly before coughing painfully, a faint smirk playing across his lips when it subsided.

"Lady Artemis..." he whispered tiredly, too weak even to open his eyes now. "I have already had as much nectar and ambrosia as I can without burning up, and three of the Apollo cabin's best Healers are in the infirmary after knocking themselves out to try and heal me."

Artemis' eyes widened in shock at that news. She had presumed that he had been an arrogant male and denied any offered aid, but if three of her nieces or nephews had been put into the infirmary through their efforts to heal Perseus, and he could not consume anymore nectar or ambrosia without burning up, and he was STILL in such terrible shape...

Her respect for the character of the mortal before her rose several more notches, and that made her look forward to the results of her plan all the more. Such loyalty and strength as he had displayed to take the sky and be reduced to this so that she could save Zoe would be the boon of all boons to her Hunters. However, she doubted he would go along with her plan, and so did not mention it, deciding to wait for his weariness to render him unconscious. She remained by his bedside, telling him of the arguments on Olympus over their mutual grandfather's rise, until he finally passed out from exhaustion. Gathering her power, she cast her spell, and watched as it took effect. His shirt bulged outwards as his breasts grew, his face softened from its hard lines, becoming more delicate and feminine. His body became more lithe and graceful, as opposed to stocky and powerful. His hair, turned snow-white by his effort of holding up the sky, lengthened and grew somewhat more tamer, though it was a far cry from what she would call neat. Her skin, similarly bronzed to a dark tan, became smoother and softer. Though she could not see it, Artemis knew his eyes were changing as well, losing their normal sea-green and becoming something else entirely. She looked forward to finding out. She then clothed him as a young girl should be, with feminine undergarments and, after a moments deliberation, a new T-shirt and jeans. The change would be hard enough without changing her clothes as well.

Finally, she sat back in her conjured chair, smiling down at the beautiful young woman that used to be Perseus Jackson. Now that he-she!- was a maiden, Artemis could use all of her powers to heal the girl, an option unavailable to her for many reasons when he was male. Silver light spilled from her hands and sank into the girl's body, mending her injuries. The girl's breathing noticeably eased, becoming less labored and raspy. Wounds closed, bruises faded, and she was healed, thought not without several scars.

Feeling as playful and childish as her brother always acts, Artemis bounced to her feet and over to the bed. Gazing at her young friend's beautiful features, she impulsively bent down and kissed her softly on the cheek, very close to her mouth. Almost immediately she pulled back, blushing heavily and cursing mentally. Turning on her heel, she hastened from the cabin, to find and speak with Chiron. They needed to organize something for her young friend's safety, as she had no siblings in the camp to protect her while she slept, and that just wouldn't do. After that, to Olympus. Best to tell Poseidon herself...

Unbeknownst to her, one Thalia Grace had been watching from a window, and a dark scowl was set on her face as she witnessed the boy she liked getting forcefully changed into a woman while he slept. Figures that her man-hating half-sister would do something like this, taking advantage of his weakened state to punish him for helping her. Well, she knew Percy, and she knew that he wouldn't take this lying down, even if he was a she. Slipping away into the shadows, she headed for the Zeus cabin to pack. Whatever Percy did now, Thalia would support him-her- 110%.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

Zoe awoke the next morning to clamors and shouting as the sound of running echoed through the camp. Grumbling to herself about loud and annoying campers, she tossed back her covers and dressed herself, before starting to shake her sisters awake, many of whom protested her actions with rebellious mutterings and threats of mutiny. It was all in jest, of course, and Zoe giggled softly at some of the more inventive threats. Her fellow Hunters were only have dressed, however, when Artemis herself burst into the cabin, looking rather panicked and disarrayed.

"My Lady..?" Zoe stared in shock at her Mistress' disheveled state, only to be forcibly refocused as Artemis grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her roughly.

"Have you seen her? Have you seen Percy?" the goddess of the moon demanded, and the Hunters stared at her as though she had lost her mind.

"My Lady...Perseus is a "him" not a "her"." Zoe said slowly, wondering if her Mistress was suffering from some horrible side effects from being forced to hold the sky for so long.

"I know that she was! But I changed her into a girl last night to save her life, and then went to Olympus to talk to Poseidon about it. By the time I got back, early this morning, Percy was gone! I alerted Chiron, and the whole camp has been called out to find him!" Artemis growled, clearly distressed. She whirled towards the door again, ordering them to assist over her shoulder. Bianca swore that she saw a small tumbleweed blow across the empty spot Artemis had just inhabited before she bolted for the door, already shouting Percy's name. Zoe looked around at her sisters, who weren't moving, and snapped her fingers several times.

"Let's move it, girls! We have a severely injured hero who has gone missing! Spread out and find him! Stay in pairs at least! Whatever grabbed him could still be out there!" she barked, and there was a flurry of movement as the Hunters obeyed their Lieutenant's orders.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

"Get down!" Thalia whispered harshly, and both she and the girl who refused to be called Percy hit the dirt as another team of Aries campers thundered past, shouting their names.

"You should go back, Thalia." her best friend hissed quietly as they got to their feet and cautiously began moving. "You have so much more to leave behind than I do!"

"Shut up!" she hissed back angrily, glaring at her. "I told you, I will follow you anywhere, Seaweed Brain, and I plan to stick to that. Besides, God knows that you will get into loads of trouble without me watching over you."

Her best friend smiled slightly, before descending into mingled gloom and rage again, making Thalia sigh subtly at the failed attempt to get her mind off of her new situation.

"You know the likelihood of us getting away and not ever getting caught is slim to none, right 'Lia?" she asked, using her pet name for Thalia, who opened her mouth to protest before sighing again, this time in defeat.

"Yeah, I know. If we had a godly patron supporting us, then maybe it would be possible, but none of _them_ will help us escape our fates as cannon fodder for their stupid conflicts." she replied sadly, and her friend nodded in agreement.

"Then it is a godly patron you shall have." a soft and beautiful voice said just behind them, and both spun with weapons in their hands to see a gorgeous eighteen year old with warm and caring amber eyes and long scarlet hair. Looking into her eyes, the pair was overwhelmed by the feeling of home and safety that they saw there, and lowered their weapons slowly.

"I recognize you..." the girl formerly known as Percy whispered softly, staring at her in wonder. "You were tending to a fire when I first arrived at camp, but you were so much younger looking."

The girl's smile broadened exponentially, and she sighed happily, coming over to them and reaching out with a gentle hand to cup the demigod's cheek, her thumb stroking it softly.

"Oh, my Perseus, how I had hoped that it would be you who saw me. I always knew that only the most worthy of people would see me." she said cheerfully, before introducing herself as Hestia, goddess of the Hearth and Family.

"So, what do you mean "most worthy", Lady Hestia?" Thalia asked suspiciously, bristling at the continued closeness the goddess was exhibiting to HER friend. "And why are you not dragging us back to Olympus?"

"Answering the second first, I am leaving you be because I agree with you. My younger siblings, nephews, and nieces have become complacent, and cruel in their negligence, of you demigods. As goddess of Hearth and Family, I can see the damage that it has been doing over the eons, and that damage is finally coming to a head. Kronos is rising, my champions, and the minor gods will side with him for the way they've been treated, as will many demigods. He will destroy Olympus."

"Good. What has Olympus done for us? They bring about our births, and then neglect us until they feel like noticing us. After that, we have to fight and die for their whims. Let Olympus burn." the girl snarled, interrupting the goddess, who looked at her sorrowfully.

"So you would wish my imprisonment in Tartarus? Because Olympian or not, I will be cast there for fighting against Kronos in the first war."

The looks of horror on the two children's' faces and their violent protests were almost as comical as they were heartwarming, and Hestia knew that she had chosen well. These two young women would unite her family, mortal and immortal alike. And, if what she hoped came to pass, her heart would finally be whole.

"I know you have every reason to be angry with our family for what they've done, Percy, Thalia, but always remember that it is not maliciousness that drives their actions, but simple foolishness." she said gently, and held a soft and gentle hand over their mouths as they went to protest, making both girls blush involuntarily. "Please, just think about it. Now, Percy, I know you want a new name, one that will allow you to cast aside your past. Choose it now, please."

"Ah..!" the girl blinked, clearly thrown for a loop, before she frowned deeply, thinking hard. Playing with her now snow-white hair, she sighed deeply and nodded to herself. Drawing herself up, shoulders squaring, she spoke. "Riven. Riven Exilia."

When Hestia raised an eyebrow and looked at her, the girl blushed heavily and answered the unspoken question.

"Riven is the name of a character in a game I used to play, who exiled herself after her own people betrayed her. She had white hair and bronze skin, like I do now. Exilia is just meant to reflect what I am now. An exile. Forsaken."

"So be it. I name you Riven Exilia. So mote it be!" Hestia said commandingly, clapping her hands sharply, and a wave of power rolled across the area, passing through the newly named Riven, who shuddered at the feeling. After it passed, Hestia looked at the pair. "I want the pair of you to serve as my Champions of the Hearth and Family. I want to be your patron, your friend, your everything."

For some reason, the phrase "your everything" made both Riven and Thalia blush heavily once more, something they had been doing a lot since this goddess had arrived, and nodded in acceptance. After all, despite their anger and disgust with the Olympians, Hestia was no Olympian. She had sacrificed her throne for the good of her family. She was what the Olympians should aspire to be. The blush achieved epic proportions and both nearly passed out as Hestia kissed them each lightly on the lips before pulling away, giggling madly at their totally dumbstruck expressions.

"There, now you are both my Champions. Hurry, though, for my niece and her Hunters are coming this way. I'll tell you everything that being my Champions has gifted you with later." the elder goddess commanded with a bright smile before vanishing in a plume of fire.

"...you ever seen a goddess act that giggly and flirty that wasn't Aphrodite?" Riven asked slowly, and Thalia shook her head dumbly.

"...think there is more to this then we figure?"

Thalia nodded in agreement, and Riven sighed gustily.

"Hell, my life has never been simple. Why start now? Let's go, 'Lia, before the bitch and her tree-huggers catch us." she grumbled, settling her pack until it was more comfortable and setting of at a rapid pace away from Camp Half-Blood, Thalia a half-step behind her.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

"Aunt Hestia!" a familiar voice called, pulling said goddess from her day-dream of her beautiful Riven, where she crouched tending The Hearth. Honestly, Perseus had always been exactly what she would have wanted in a man, but as a young woman named Riven, she was even better. She had hoped that he would see her when he first arrived at camp, as she had watched him grow and mature into the wonderful person he was since his birth. It seemed her hopes had been fulfilled, at least in part. Now, she just had to make Riven fall in love with her, and not abandon their family...

"What is it, Artemis?" she asked calmly, well aware of her niece's reason for approaching her in such haste and distress.

"Percy has gone missing! I turned her into a girl, changed who she was so that she could live but not destroy reality, but I never got to explain what happened! Now she and Thalia have gone missing, likely run off somewhere, and no one at camp, myself, nor my Hunters can seem to find them! It's as if they vanished from the face of the earth!" her niece said, waving an arm about in agitation while the other ran through her hair. "The stupidity she had as a man must still be contaminating her mind for her to run off like this!"

"Maybe it's because you destroyed his life without asking permission first, Artemis." Hestia pointed out, rather miffed after the slight to her Champion and, though her niece didn't need to know, love interest.

"I didn't do anything but save his life! Maybe if he had waited patiently in bed instead of running off like a fool, he would know that!" Artemis growled, growing angry from her aunt's apparent lack of care about the situation.

"I warned you this would happen if you were a fool about it, Artemis!" Hestia said sharply, getting to her feet with a dark look. She resisted the urge to say anything that might give away what she knew, and instead settled for a pointed barb, one that would be expected of her in the current situation. "It appears you did not heed my warning! Your misstep may doom Olympus to my father's rule! I hope trying to get another girl into your Hunt was worth it!"

With that, the goddess of the Hearth vanished in a flash of fire, leaving a confused and steadily angering Artemis behind. Did no one understand that she had been trying to help? Did no one understand that she had done what was necessary? Sure, she had destroyed everything he knew, changed his entire being, but he was a demigod! He was supposed to adapt and improve! Stalking form the Throne Room as her concern turned to anger, she resolved to punish Percy for embarrassing her like this, making her worry! Honestly, and here Artemis was hoping that being a girl would improve the fool! Well, she would make sure it didn't happen again, that was for sure!

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

Whilst Artemis was ranting to herself and trying to ignore how hurt she felt that she had driven away the one mortal who, as a woman, MIGHT be worthy of her affections ( and blaming said mortal for it, naturally), said mortal and her best friend/cousin were setting up camp some ten miles south of Long Island Sound, underneath a bridge.

"I'm glad you came with me, 'Lia." Riven said softly. Thalia stopped what she was doing and looked over at the other young woman curiously. Riven smiled at her sadly, even as tears began to run down her cheeks, and continued. "I wouldn't be able to do this without you. I wouldn't be able to get through this without you. I may be close with Annabeth, but you...ever since you were freed from the tree, you've been everything I ever wanted in a best friend. You argue with me, tell me when I'm being stupid, but you're not condescending about it. You help me instead of just insulting me. If there is anyone besides my mom that I would trust everything to, it would be you."

"I feel the same way about you. The only other person I really trust is Annabeth." Thalia replied, pulling Riven into a hug and hoping the other girl didn't see her blush. It felt...good, to know how much value Riven put in her. Thalia marveled for a moment at her ability to so easily accept her crushes new status as a woman, but immediately shrugged it off. It didn't matter. Riven had the same soul, the same personality, as Percy. She would deal with any romantic feelings for her later. Right now, her best friend needed her. That's all there was to it. Rubbing Riven's back soothingly, she held the now-sobbing girl close. "I'll always be here, Riven. You and I, we will find a way through this together. No matter what."

The pair stayed that way late into the night before falling asleep together, unaware of the fact that a trio of beings far older and more powerful than the Olympians were watching them, weighing them. By unspoken agreement, all three resolved to continue their vigil. Hopefully, these two would not be found wanting.

Through this pair of young woman, everything would change.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

Well, there you have it, the first chapter of The Exiles! Please remember that I have no beta! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, leave them in a review. If you want to encourage me, leave it in a review! If you want to flame me...leave it in your head, cause I don't care!

Shadows Of Vanity


	2. Shattered

**Yes, I realize my other stories need to be updated, but I am kind of stalled on some of them, while this story is still going strong in that thing that some might call a brain. **

**On another note, I recently got a wild (very wild) idea for a Bleach X League of Legends crossover. Godlike!Ichigo/Harem, and much kicking of ass, anyone? Not entirely sure how serious the story would be, but...**

**Slightly more serious idea being a FFXIII X League of Legends crossover, but it would be more along the lines of this story and Wrath of Storms, and thus be yuri-harem. *shrugs***

**As A Warning, Formatting Might Be Messed Up, Because I Typed Half Of This In Word, And Half in Google Docs.**

**That being said, on to review replies!**

Kai: Yes, I did use her. Why? Because she is awesome, badass, sexy, and her lore is fantastic, perfect for this situation. Furthermore, she will not be the only one you will recognize...

On-Eno: She is not only angry, but in shock. She doesn't really get it yet. First period? That will be...interesting to say the least. As for the rest, I can say that you're not wrong, but nothing more than that :)

Conkercool: Those are next, but I have to work on this for now, as stated above

DCOwen: You, sir, are a mind reader. I plan on having some Ancients fade and leave their power to Riven, but how many and who, well, I will let you guess :)

Kormk: Why, thank you. Good to know it wasn't too bad grammar wise, as sometimes I type a little to fast to check it XD.

hebuman: Thanks, and here you go

aesir21: Thanks, and as you wish :)

Nix's warden: Yes, she is indeed lol. Millennia of pent up sexual frustration, finding someone you could let loose with, and then having them vanish might make you a lil pissy XD

whitetigerwolf: Glad you liked it so far, hope you continue to like it!

TenchiSolutionsForAll: Good to see you again, my friend. It hasn't sunk in yet, but sometime this chapter things will get...interesting

: Why yes, yes I am.

RedRyder01: Thank you, that's always nice to hear

Hyrulian Hero Akai: Hmm, you might be right. Who can say? :3

**Note: I am still lacking a beta for this story, so if you spot any errors, please let me know!**

**WARNING! Depressing content present in this chapter! It is vital to the plot, or I would have avoided it!**

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

The Exiles

Chapter Two

Shattered

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

"So, what's the plan now, Riven?" Thalia asked her crush softly, and Riven's hands stilled in their quick and efficient packing of the ten the two of them shared.

"...say goodbye to mom and Paul one more time before going off the grid, I guess. I need to see them again, explain to them what happened, why I'm leaving." she said sadly, and Thalia stifled the urge to simultaneously curse in anger and sigh in depression. Nothing she and Hestia had said over the past month had managed to make any headway in convincing The Exile, as she often asked to be referred to as (something else the pair argued with her over constantly) that totally disappearing from everyone but the two of them wasn't necessary, but it had thus far proven fruitless. Riven didn't believe her patron and best friend would betray her or lie to her, but she had no such faith in the other Olympians, and she was unwilling to return to what she now looked back on with contempt and hatred as a life of being a conscripted (and expendable) soldier. "You should stay with them, 'Lia, and have Lady Hestia say that I kidnapped you or something."

"Oh for God's sake, Riven! Enough!" Thalia snapped in annoyance, glaring at the snow-haired girl, who leaned back a little at the aggression in Thalia's voice. "I've had enough of this depressing attitude of yours! Yeah, Artemis destroyed your life! Yeah, she turned you into a chick! Yeah, you feel used and abused by Olympus! Well guess what, you're not the only one whose life has been ruined by the gods! Stop moaning to yourself and get your head in the game! If you and I are going to survive this, godly patron or not, we need to keep training! We need to stay frosty, we need to keep focused, and we need to stop ARGUING!"

Riven stared at her best friend in wide eyed shock, mouth hanging open slightly. Thalia was very near to what could be described as hyperventilation, breathing heavily after yelling the last dozen words or so at the top of her lungs while her electric-blue eyes sparked passionately, and actual sparks crawled over her body. Riven honestly was feeling a little awed. She had never seen her friend's power acting up like this. Then again, even when they argued constantly back at camp, she had never seen Thalia this angry either.

"I'm sorr-." she started, only to be cut off by an irritated Thalia.

"Don't apologize, I'm sorry for yelling at you." the daughter of Zeus muttered, shaking her head choppily. "I just can't stand to see you hurting anymore, its killing me. Just...try and cheer up a little, please? For me?"

"S-sure thing, 'Lia." Riven nodded with a bright blush that she mentally cursed herself for. She seemed doomed to make a fool of herself in front of Thalia, both as a boy and as a girl. Looking down, she returned to her task with precision, Thalia doing the same with her own. In less than ten minutes their gear was packed up and on their backs. Setting off, the pair headed back north, intent on reaching New York city again without getting found. Hopefully, the heat had died down some.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

** "Why has my daughter not yet been found?" **Poseidon thundered angrily, pounding the floor of the throne room with the butt of his trident. **"It has been an entire month, and none of you, nor those who serve you, are able to find her!'**

"You've not found her either, brother!" Zeus snapped back, clenching his master bolt tightly as energy rippled across it. "What about my daughter? Your sea-spawn chit led her astray!"

**"What was that?!" **Poseidon roared, getting to his feet while Zeus did the same. In moments, the room was filled with shouting and yelling as every Olympian shouted accusations and threats. All save one.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

A deeply confused and depressed Artemis was sitting slumped down in her throne, brow furrowed as she was absorbed in her own thoughts. Ever since Mount Othrys, everything had gone straight to Tartarus for her. Her irrational anger with the daughter of Poseidon long gone, all she was left with was worry and pain. She was haunted constantly with dreams of a bronze-skinned and snow-haired young woman being torn apart by monsters, raped by men, or joining Kronos before leading an army of demigods and monsters to crush Olympus. The dreams and her constant thoughts on them were distressing, to say the least. Sighing deeply, she thought about what might have been, trying to think of a way to get the girls back. She couldn't help it, not after she let herself imagine how powerful the Hunt could be if she had the three oldest children of the Big Three. None of her sisters would die in battle gain, not with that much power amongst them. Then she wouldn't have to suffer through losing Hunters anymore.

Instead, two of the girls had vanished outright, and the third had quite the Hunt before vanishing as well. Artemis flinched slightly as she remembered...

_Flashback_

"_Bianca, where are you going?" Artemis heard Pheobe ask in surprise, and she stepped out of her tent to see Bianca Di Angelo, dressed in black armor with a Stygian Iron sword at her side and a black bow on her back standing with her back to the camp. It had been three weeks since the entire Ancient Greek world had begun searching for the Daughter of Poseidon and Daughter of Zeus, to no avail. _

_ "I am leaving the Hunt." the Daughter of Hades replied calmly, and the Hunters gasped while Artemis' eyes widened in panic. Several members of the Hunt began to speak at once, to try and persuade her otherwise, but she remained unmoved and started to walk away. Desperate not to lose someone else she cared for in so short a time span, Artemis spoke up._

_ "Bianca, please, you can't leave us! Not now!" she cried, stepping forward, and Bianca looked over at her with a cold expression, though her eyes held a gleam of anger and...sadness?_

_ "I can no longer remain in the Hunt if you routinely turn people who rescue you into girls without explanation. I was willing to leave behind my brother, sacrificing the relationship with the only family I have left, because I thought you were a genuinely good person. I was willing to overlook the stories of you turning men into animals and hunting them down to slaughter them for sport as just that, stories. I thought that they were more ridiculous mortal stories twisting the truth. I see now that they were true. I refuse to serve a spiteful woman who murders men simply because she doesn't like them, or even worse, for fun. That makes you no better than Kronos." she replied with a trace of contempt. Artemis reared back as if slapped in the face, shocked more than she had ever been in her life. Is that really how people viewed her? A spiteful woman who commits murder for fun? No better than Kronos? She was so shocked and hurt that the idea of punishing Bianca for her rudeness and insolence never crossed her mind. No, all that mattered was keeping Bianca with her and the Hunt._

_ "Bianca, you don't understand what happened...!" she started to say, but Bianca cut her off angrily. _

_ "What I understand is that you turned the boy that saved my life and Zoe's, and nearly died rescuing you from Atlas, into a girl in his sleep because you couldn't handle being saved by a man. What I understand is that said girl and Thalia, both of whom are on the top of Kronos' "Capture or Kill" list, are missing and totally unfindable even by the gods. What I understand is that Olympus cares nothing for its children. We'll, I'm not going to fight and die for people who don't care for my life. Goodbye, Artemis. I hope we don't meet again."_

_With those heartbreaking words, Bianca pulled of the small silver circlet marking her as a Hunter and tossed it on the ground, crushing it beneath her heel before fading into the shadows, even as the others shouted for her not to go. Artemis remained stock still, deaf to the world, as she stared with a shattered heart at the small crumpled remains of Bianca's circlet. Numbly, she touched her cheeks, feeling cold, and realized that her face was soaked with tears. Retreating into her tent before her Hunters could see her condition, she broke down into sobs. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. Sure, she acted like a cold-hearted bitch all the time, but she had endured a lot over the millennia. Hunters dying in battle, leaving the Hunt. Orion's betrayal and death at her hands. And through it all, she was alone. She had no one to open her heart to. And now, when she had finally found that person, they were gone because of her actions, and her life was collapsing around her because of it. _

_What did she do now?_

_Flashback Ends_

** "...bring it on! The Sea will not kowtow to the Sky any longer! I am sick and tired of you acting like you are all high and mighty simply because you rule the Sky! My Daughter will be the Child of Prophecy, and show you that the Sea is greater than the Sky!"** Poseidon's voice, filled with anger and power broke Artemis from her thoughts, and she looked up, eyes widening in shock as she saw the scene before her.

Hades, who was present due to the importance of the meeting, was trying to calm his two younger siblings down, both of whom had ascended to their godly forms and were in full armor, weapons in hand. The three blades of of Poseidon's tridents were shrouded in a heavy mist. Zeus' lightning bolt had disappeared inside of the white-hot, crackling aura of its activated form. Athena and Ares had their swords and shields ready. Hermes had his staff in laser-mode, Apollo his bow. Aphrodite and Demeter were yelling, trying to get their fellows to sit down, while Dionysus appeared to be asleep in his throne.

"Enough!" Artemis shouted, leaping to her feet and stomping her foot, making the room shake and everyone to look at her. Glaring around at them all, she continued. "Fighting amongst ourselves will gain us nothing and Kronos everything! Both children of the Great Prophecy are missing and feeling great anger towards Olympus right now! Our ONLY concern is finding them safely and bringing them back to be protected and trained! Now, in a two nights, the full moon will rise! With my power at its height, I WILL be able to find them, maidens that they are, and save them before they get themselves killed! I will NOT allow any harm to come to them! This situation is of my making, because I didn't explain to Jackson what had to be done! I WILL be the one to fix the problem I caused!"

"The spawn of Poseidon will suffer for leading Thalia away. MY daughter will be the one, true Child of Prophecy! MY child will be the one to save Olympus!" Zeus shouted back at her, and Artemis' eyes narrowed before she walked over and slapped her father hard, rocking him back with the blow. Even as Poseidon smirked and started to laugh, she turned on him and gave him the same treatment.

"Both of you are fools!" she shouted, glaring at them hotly as they stared at her in mingled shock and fury. "These attitudes of yours are the root of all of our problems!"

She glared around the throne room, letting everyone know she was speaking to all of them now. "Our arrogance and cruel neglect is the very reason that the minor gods and goddesses are turning against us! The very reason so many demigods have joined Kronos! None of us have done _anything_ for them save for claiming them, and even then, we do so only rarely!"

She looked from face to face and was pleased to see that Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, and even, Chaos preserve her, Aphrodite seemed to be listening to her, at least a little. The others, however, seemed dismissive or appalled at her words.

"Since when do you care, little sis?" Apollo scoffed, looking at her and shaking his head. "You are just as arrogant and cruel as you say the rest of us are! You go around killing or maiming men simply for crossing paths with the you! You teach young girls that all men are the same, when you know for a fact that it isn't true!"

"I do what I have to to protect them!" Artemis snapped angrily, before sighing and calming herself. She continued after a moment in an even tone of voice. "I am well aware of my faults. The events of the past month, and talking with Aunt Hestia," here everyone turned to glance at the Goddess of the Hearth, who was smiling brightly at her niece. "Have shown me just how wrong I have been over the centuries. Bianca leaving the Hunt showed me just how other people have come to view me. I looked in the mirror and was disgusted by what I saw there. In me I saw the same horrific traits that I am always "punishing" men for. Arrogance, cruelty, pride, bigotry, sexism. Does that mean that I like men, and will take one into my bed? Of course not, I have no desire to spread my legs for any _man_, but no longer will I commit murder without sufficient proof that the target of my wrath is deserving."

The room was silent after the Moon Goddesses impassioned speech, before Zeus snorted in amusement and mingled disgust.

"It seems even you have been corrupted by that sea-scum, Artemis." he sneered, glaring at her angrily, a glare Artemis returned measure for measure. He snorted again and spun on his heel. "I have no interest into listening to this nonsense anymore. Council dismi..."

"Father, look!" Hermes cried, waving his hand and causing an image to expand in the air. The Olympian Council looked at the image to see something that shocked them all to the core. It was a news image from a mortal television station, showing a reporter in New York, live.

_The image was dark, as swirling clouds swept over the city. Thunder boomed and echoed as massive bolts of lightning arced across the sky. The young reporter's long brunette hair fluttered violently in powerful winds, winds powerful enough that small, parked cars were slowly being pushed from their spots sideways into the road. The ground appeared to be shaking steadily, as the young woman appeared to be having trouble keeping her feet._

_"That's right, Katie! I'm here in downtown Manhattan, and its just incredible! Steady winds of nearly 40 miles per hour came up out of nowhere, and as you can see above me, we have what looks to be shaping up to one of the biggest and most powerful thunderstorms in history over the city. You can hear the waves from here, even over the wind, Katie. From what people have told the studio, and you've told me, the waves are cresting at nearly a story in height and growing still larger. And the ground, Katie, its just shaking! From what they tell me, the constant quaking is a little stronger than a category five earthquake on the Richter scale. Police and Fire units are trying to move everyone away from the epicenter of the quake, while I've been told that the Army and National Guard has been called in to reinforce said Police and Fire. The Corps of Engineers best are on their way to try and help ascertain the level of danger, but from what I've been told it is likely...OH MY GOD!" the woman was saying, only to be interrupted by her own frightened exclamation when lightning began to strike repeatedly on nearly every tall building in view. The massive CRACK! BOOMS! of the strikes were painful even over the microphone, and the reporter looked off screen and nodded hastily to someone out of view before looking back at the camera. "Katie, my team and I have just been flat out ordered to vacate the area, the military has arrived and wants everyone within ten miles of the epicenter gone. Back to you in the studio. C'mon, Paul, lets get the hell out of..."_

The image vanished with a wave of Hermes' hand, and everyone immediately looked at the Big Three, who looked back at them blankly, before realizing what they wanted to know.

'Not me!" Poseidon declared, holding his hands out in the stereotypical "my hands are empty" gesture.

"It's not me, I have enough restraint not to randomly throw my power around in a city full of mortals." Hades shrugged, not mentioning that he was the only one of the trio with actual restraint.

"I didn't do it!" Zeus declared, and received skeptical or outright disbelieving looks in return. "Do you really think I would go about using my power in plain view of mortals with no regard for the consequences?"

"YES!" came the resounding answer from the rest of the room, and he scowled childishly.

"Well, its not me!" he growled, and the other Olympians exchanged looks of confusion at the honesty in his tone and aura.

"well, if it isn't any of us, then who could it be?" Hera asked, confused, and Athena's eyes widened.

"Which two demigods are missing?" she asked sharply, and everyone sent her strange looks.

"Thalia and my daughter. You know that, Athena..." Poseidon said slowly, looking concerned despite their rivalry.

"Poseidon. Lord of the Seas. Storm-Bringer and Earth-Shaker. Zeus, Lord of Skies and Lightning." she said as if it explained everything. Which, it did, they realized. The two most powerful demigods in centuries were both missing. A series of natural disasters in line with their inherited powers occurring in New York.

No one but Artemis noticed that Hestia had already flashed out as soon as Athena had asked who was missing. The Huntress narrowed her eyes slightly in contemplation. Her aunt had taken to reacting badly whenever anyone spoke ill of the two missing girls, not that anyone else noticed, and she seemed much happier of late, and often vanished to who knows where for long periods of time.

"We need to reclaim control of our realms, brothers." Hades said, focusing his will on calming the earth. "Artemis, go down and try to find the girls. The rest of you, stay out of the way."

Artemis gave her uncle a strange look for a moment before nodding and flashing away even as the Big Three closed their eyes and reached out, trying to keep New York in one piece.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

**During the Council Meeting**

"How much further to your mom's place, Riven?" Thalia asked as the pair walked the streets of New York City. The white-haired girl looked around for a moment, frowning in thought, and shrugged.

"Maybe ten minutes, but not much longer than that. Honestly, might be shorter than that. I haven't been home in a while..." her voice trailed off sadly, and Thalia grabbed her hand in a comforting gesture. Both girls blushed faintly at the warmth of the other's hand, but smiled brightly at each other anyway. Having the comforting presence of a friend right now meant a lot to both of them. Of course, each was sure that the other didn't think of them as anything more than a friend. Thalia was convinced that Riven was in love with Annabeth, while Riven was sure Thalia could never care for her after her transformation.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the large apartment in which Sally Jackson-Blofis and her husband Paul lived. Knocking on the door, the pair waited for it to open. After several long moments, and not a single sound had been heard on the other side of it, Riven frowned and pulled out her keychain while Thalia looked up and down the street cautiously. Both of them had a really bad feeling about this...

The door swung open with a click, and the two girls slowly and carefully entered the building. Shutting the door behind her, Riven raised her voice.

"Mom, are you home? I'm back from Camp Half-blood!" she called, but her call went unanswered, and the air of the building felt dead, stagnant.

"Something is very wrong here, Riven!" Thalia hissed worriedly, slapping her bracelet and clicking her Mace canister. Aegis spiraled to life on her arm even as her electric spear extended to its full, deadly length, crackling with energy.

"I know, its too quiet. The car is here, but they would have answered us if they were home." Riven agreed, clicking her pen to transform Riptide. The pair slowly advanced towards the living room, weapons and powers ready. Hesitating outside the doorway, the pair nodded to each other before kicking the door in together. The wooden barricade fell with a resounding crash, and the pair charged into an abattoir. Blood coated the walls, human body parts were flung haphazardly around the room in pieces, and twin spikes jutting from the floor. Paul and Sally's decapitated heads were impaled on them, mouths opened in silent screams of pain and terror. On the back wall, written in the blood of Riven's family, was a message for the white-haired demigoddess.

"_**So always to those who oppose the might of Lord Kronos! This is just the beginning, Child of Poseidon! They will not be the first to die!"**_

Thalia looked on in shocked horror, while Riven fell to her knees, arms wrapped around herself, shaking violently, sobs wracking her frame. Shaking herself from the horrific sight of seeing the people she considered to be her mortal parents torn to pieces, Thalia quickly returned her weapons of their disguised forms and knelt beside Riven, holding the snow-haired and broken-hearted teen to her.

"They won't get away with this, Riven, I promise you!" she swore softly, feeling hatred for whomever had done this consuming her before she shoved it aside to focus on Riven. Sally and Paul were mortals, civilians in the war between the gods and Titans. She could tell that killing them was the work of demigods, not monsters, from the relatively clean separation of the head from the neck. Which meant this was a deliberate attack meant to shatter Riven's spirit. Thalia felt a sort of bitter pride in her cousin. It seemed Kronos knew who his biggest threat was...wait a moment, was the room shaking?

Thalia looked around in concern, and her eyes widened as she noticed that the entire house was shaking around them, furniture and pictures rattling from the vibrations before crashing to the ground. The sky outside the window was rapidly darkening as storm clouds swept across it in seconds, blanketing the entire city in darkness even as thunder began to boom and lightning arced across the sky. Rain poured down in sheet, and Thalia's eyes widened as she realized what was going on.

Her crush was a daughter of Poseidon. Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, the Earth-Shaker, and Storm-Bringer. And she was _pissed_. Her power was flaring around her wildly, and Thalia yelped involuntarily as Riven's body was wreathed in flames. The flames, however, did not burn either of them. In fact, Thalia found them warm and comforting in a sense, and pulled the girl closer.

"Riven! Riven, I know you're hurt and angry, but destroying New York City will accomplish nothing! Riven, please!" she cried desperately, but there was no response as the flames grew larger, and the storm and ground-quakes grew more powerful. Cracks were beginning to show on the walls and floor of the house like spider webs.

Seeing how empty her friend's eyes were terrified Thalia. It looked like Riven's pain and anger had finally pushed her to the brink. Her body was on autopilot now, her mind lost in her anger and powers. She had to get through to her somehow, but what could she do? Making a snap decision, Thalia wrenched Riven's head until it faced her and did the only thing she could think of.

Kissed her hard on the mouth.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

Riven felt herself jolt back into reality, free from the depths of her anger, as she felt Thalia's soft lips on her own. For a moment, she was too shocked to do anything, but then instinctually leaned into the kiss slightly, warmth spreading throughout her entire body at the sensation. Throwing all rational thought away, she focused only on Thalia. She needed this, needed _her_. She needed the comfort, the security, the love that she could feel flowing off of Thalia. It was her anchor, her rock, keeping her from losing herself.

Thalia was blissful, any thoughts of Riven's near-destruction of the city lost in the feeling of the kiss. Sure, it wasn't what she wanted for a first kiss with Riven, but better than nothing, right? She pushed all over her love, her need for Riven into the kiss, into her aura, trying to calm the other girl down, trying to show her that not everything was lost.

The moment (though in truth is was many minutes) ended violently, however, when Hestia flashed into the room and grabbed them both before flashing out again. Dropping them both unceremoniously in a large forest clearing, she called for them to stay there before flashing back to the apartment, arriving just in time to see Artemis entering the building.

"Hestia, how swiftly you were able to arrive here, when I had to search for this place for several minutes." Artemis said cooly with narrowed eyes. Hestia calmly returned the look and shrugged slightly.

"It seems we both found the proper place." she replied easily, looking about the building. She hadn't taken the time to really notice her surroundings when she evacuated her champions, but now that she looked around, she noticed the severe damage wrought by Riven. But why had she done it?

"What could have caused the girls to do this? While both have tempers and sometimes have lost control of their powers, this is no momentary lapse. This was either deliberate, or they were truly lost in emotions." Artemis commented, as if reading her mind. "Since this is Poseidon's daughter's home, I doubt it was deliberate damage."

"Then what could have unbalanced her emotionally enough to do all this?" Hestia murmured, before her eyes narrowed as she spotted the shattered living room door. Feeling apprehensive, she looked at Artemis and nodded to the wreckage. The silver-eyes huntress nodded, summoning her bow and notching an arrow while Hestia herself summoned her fire to her, ready to consume any threat.

The pair slowly edged towards the room before entering quickly, freezing in shock and horror at the sight before them.

"By Chaos..." Artemis breathed in sorrow, looking at the severed heads. she had watched over Sally, and later Paul, while Perseus was doing battle for Olympus. Sally was, in her mind, the ideal mother. Everything Hera _should_ act like, but didn't. Sweet, kind, helpful, loving, and placing her family before herself, yet still being the firm and disciplining adult that all children needed in their youth. And Paul, though he was a man, was as good a man as any for her. Though they were only recently dating, he had remained steadfastly loyal to her, despite other woman trying to garner his attention. He had cherished her as much as Percy did, and worked hard to ensure her happiness. her eyes fell on the bloody writing on the wall and her hands tightened in rage, her bow creaking dangerously as it came close to snapping.

"**How dare they!" **her normally sweet and peaceful aunt roared, and Artemis actually backed away as Hestia became wreathed in fire that burned so hot, Artemis actually started sweating. **"I'll burn them all to ashes, body and soul! Tartarus is too good for them! They will burn, **_**burn**_**, **_**BURN**_** in eternal agony, in eternal damnation!"**

Artemis was actually shaking slightly in fear. She had never, ever, seen her normally kind and sweet aunt like this, and was presently being reminded of the fact that Hestia was the oldest of the Olympians, older even than the Big Three. She flinched back slightly when Hestia turned her, literally, fiery gaze onto the maiden goddess.

**"Artemis, you will inform my little brothers about what has transpired here! I am going hunting!" **she ordered, and vanished in a pillar of white-hot flame. The thought of disobeying never crossing her mind, Artemis immediately flashed back to Olympus to find her family waiting.

"Artemis, my daughter, what did you find?" Zeus inquired, eager for news of Thalia.

"A truly horrific scene, Father. You are right Athena, it was the two Children of Prophecy creating all the damage and chaos, but they weren't there when I arrived. What was there, however, is the cause of their anger and loss of control. I will show you what they saw." Artemis reported, hesitating before looking at Poseidon sadly. "I am so, so sorry Uncle. I would never wish this on anyone."

Poseidon opened his mouth to ask what she meant when she waved her hand, showing her memories of arriving at the Jackson apartment. The Council murmured in shock and disquiet at the obviously heavy damage done to the building. It still didn't explain, however, Artemis' sorrowful and heartfelt apology to Poseidon. Not, at least, until the memory showed the brutal and nightmarish death-room of Sally Jackson and Paul Blofis.

Reactions were instantaneous and diverse.

Dionysus gave an imperceptible shrug before falling asleep again.

Zeus' eyes widened as he was faced with definitive proof that his father was rising, before smirking as he considered the potential result. With some luck, the sea-chit was totally broken and useless now. His Thalia would be the Child of Prophecy, proving once more how superior his children (and therefore himself) were. Sympathy for his brother's loss crossed his mind before his arrogance and pride pushed it aside.

Poseidon, of course, had near-about collapsed in his throne, sobbing uncontrollably into his hands. He had truly loved Sally Jackson, and had even offered her godhood and a place in his palace, but she had refused. And the pain, oh the pain he could imagine his precious daughter was feeling after seeing this sight in person. The seas in the mortal world, his domain, reflected his pain. Great waves crashed upon the shorelines, ships were overturned, great storms boiled across the waters.

Aphrodite felt literal pain at the agonizing heartbreak she could feel from her favorite relative, and she flitted over to him, trying to make him feel better, but at a loss as to how to do so.

Hera, for all her millennia of hatred for demigods, and anger with her family for cheating to create said demigods, saw the true and unadulterated pain her brother was feeling, and her own horror at the sight before them. Sure, she resented the sea-spawn for being the result of her brother's infidelity, but NO ONE should ever have to see that kind of thing done to their mother. She glanced at her brother, biting her bottom lip, as she debated comforting him. Glancing at her husband for a moment, she sighed internally and turned her face away from Poseidon, ashamed of her inability to comfort family for the sake of keeping her husband mollified.

Hephaestus was fiddling with some trinkets in his throne, eyes down to hide the small tears hidden inside their amber depths. He wanted dearly to comfort his Uncle, as his wife did, but he had never been good with other people. Since he had been tossed aside by Hera, literally, he had learned to close himself off from others, to better protect himself from the pain of such rejection. Unfortunately, he was quite sure this attitude contributed to the ever-present rift that seemed to exist between himself and Aphrodite. Not for the first time, he silently cursed his reclusive nature.

Apollo was in shock. Though he cared little for mortals, and only slightly more for his children, he couldn't imagine seeing such a sight. Still, what surprised him most was the fact that his sister seemed to care. His eyes narrowed as he considered possible reasons why. If she had fallen for Poseidon's kid...well, he had dealt with that before, hadn't he? No one was allowed to be close with his little sister, no one but him!

Athena, though she disliked the child of Poseidon on principle for her very nature, and her friendship with Annabeth, couldn't deny the pain she felt for the child. The scene was horrific to the utmost, and she prayed to The Maker that she never had to come upon a scene like that, but one that instead featured her children. Her eyes flickered to Poseidon and softened at the pain he was in. Rivals they may be, but that had little to do with the current situation.

Hades, for his part, was infuriated. His younger brother's daughter had saved his children many times over, and done much for the gods despite their (and, he admitted shamefully, his own) acts against him...erm, her, and he mentally ordered Alecto to find the two souls and bring them to his palace for him to take to Elysium personally. He wanted to thank the two people responsible for making the sea-spawn who she was.

Ares was frowning deeply. While he was no fan of Poseidon's kid, she was a good fighter and was turning out to be a good friend for Clarisse. Plus, this whole attack was so cowardly and underhanded, it just pissed him off. There was no honor in killing civilians just to mess with someone's mind.

Demeter was deeply upset, though more because of the crime itself than who it had been done too. It wasn't that she _disliked_ the child of Poseidon, in fact she appreciated her friendliness with her eldest daughter Katie, but the fact remained that since she had shown up, there had been a lot of conflict, and Demeter didn't like conflict. However, much like others, she couldn't imagine seeing such a thing done to your mother.

Hermes was more concerned with whether or not his son Luke had done this horrible crime. Sure, he personally was sorry for Poseidon's kid, but he had much more important things on his mind, such as trying to regain his son from Kronos.

Artemis was, in a rare show of kind emotions, was also trying to comfort Poseidon alongside Aphrodite.

"Uncle, Hestia is hunting down the demigods responsible. She promised the most horrific fates that can be imagined for them." she murmured to him, knowing that he would want revenge. The sea god grunted his understanding, and drew a deep shuddering breath as he calmed himself down, bringing his domain under his control to keep deaths at a minimum.

"And my child, Artemis? Did you find my precious daughter?" he asked through gritted teeth, and Artemis shook her head sadly.

"No, Uncle. I can only imagine that she fled in grief or rage before I arrived there." she said with regret, and Poseidon nodded tightly.

"Thank you, Niece." he sighed, before looking up at her with pleading eyes. "I'm counting on you, Artemis. I need you to find her at the full moon. Please, before I see her butchered and displayed like meat."

"I will do everything in my power and more, Uncle." Artemis promised fervently, and meant it. She would find the girl, and she would tell her everything. Why she had turned her into a girl, why she wanted her in the Hunt...and how she felt about her.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

"Why did you kiss me, 'Lia?" Riven asked quietly. The pair was sitting in the clearing Hestia had left them in. Riven was sitting with her back to a tree and her legs folded beneath her, Thalia's head in her lap as she ran her fingers through the spiky black locks of her best friend. "Was it just out of pity, or...?"

"NO! No, of course not!" Thalia protested violently, looking up at her with wide eyes. At the raised eyebrows and silent expectation of Riven, she flushed heavily and diverted her gaze. After a long moment, she cleared her throat and explained softly. "I've...I've had a crush on you since I met you. Ever since you helped save me from the tree."

"But, we are always fighting! I thought that we were casual friends, if that?" Riven asked, surprised, though she too blushed. She had had a bit of a crush on the raven-haired lightning user as well, and been disheartened when they constantly fought.

"No, I...I was afraid. Afraid of what you would say, afraid of what my dad would do if he found out I liked you, or worse, if we got together. I was scared he would kill you, or send you on a suicide mission to "earn his approval"." Thalia replied softly, taking one of Riven's hands in her own and holding it to her chest. "I know that Clarisse led the mission, but you were the strength, will, and drive behind it. I love you, Riven Mystes."

"I...'Lia, I'm a girl now. I'm a, a freak! I wasn't born this way! I, I, I..." Riven stuttered feeling overwhelmed and, frankly, unworthy of the affection of someone as amazing as Thalia. Said girl frowned up at her in annoyance, before abruptly sitting up and turning to stare into her eyes.

"Riven, it doesn't matter who you are on the outside. On the inside, you're still the same Kelp Head that I fell in love with. Besides," she shrugged wryly and smirked a little. "I've always been a little bit bisexual, I guess. And you always liked girls, so it's no problem."

"Are you sure, Thalia? Are you sure you want to be in a relationship with me? I don't know the first thing about how to treat you, how to make you happy, how to be in a relationship." Riven said sadly, not believing she could make Thalia happy. In response, Thalia leaned in and kissed her again. Riven, despite her concerns, couldn't help but return the kiss happily.

"Neither do I. We can learn together though, so...let's just take it slow?" Thalia said after they came up for air. Riven nodded a little tearfully and pulled Thalia to her again, just holding her new girlfriend close, reveling in the closeness. Reveling in anything that would distract her from the agony waiting, hovering at the edge of her mind. Waiting for her to turn her attention to it, to plague her nightmares with images of her mom's death.

"So tell me everything I need to know about being a girl, 'Lia." she murmured, and Thalia blushed before starting to explain all the basics of being a woman. She just wondered how Riven would react as soon as her first period hit...

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

The three silently observing beings had since been joined by several more, all watching the pair, though in truth it was Riven they were watching.

"This is a dangerous game you play, Moirai." a deep voice, like that of a lioness, rumbled.

"Enough, Mistress of Dread. You roar too loud. You play the same game they do, the same game of us all." another woman spoke, her voice cold yet kind, and a third voice spoke up.

"Tsu-chan, calm yourself. It is inevitable for there to be conflict, when this many pantheons meet and place their hope in a single child..."

"You assume too much, Amaterasu. We've yet to agree to go along with the Greek plan. I for one see no reason to be this child's patron, even if you chose to." a sultry yet somehow frightening female voice spoke.

"Enough, daughter of Ninurta. We have all agreed that if the situation with the ruling pantheon is not resolved, the world is doomed. We _must_ work together to prevent this." a calm and gentle voice said, and the voice identified as the Mistress of Dread snorted in amused irritation.

"I don't even know why you're here, Sif. Humanity has forgotten you more than most others. Until recently, anyway. What do you care?"

"Midgard will always be an Asgardian concern. Simple as that." came the reply.

"Enough, all of you." the voice that many would recognize as Clotho spoke up finally. "Are your judgments complete? Is she not as we described her?"

"She is, but we will approach her in our own times. Not yours, Greek." the Mistress of Dread responded, and Clotho muttered to her sisters before finishing.

"Very well."

The Moirai vanished, and the watching deities turned their attention back to the children they hoped would preserve the world from the threats that would assail it.

_**TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE TE**_

There ya go. Read, Review, and Don't Flame. Still no beta.


	3. Pantheons Assemble

Chris Shadowmoon: Yeah, she is, but as you say starting in chapter two, she is trying to fix herself, as it were. Only time will tell how it goes!

On Eno: Yeah, she always seemed like a little bit of a psycho to me, but I plan on redeeming her at some point, as you might have guessed from parts of chapter two. She just needed a slap to the face to bring her to the real world lol.

n0mster: Yeah, that's what I was leaning towards the whole time, and I know exactly how I'm going to do it too! My only hints are: What sound are hollows known for, what is the newest ARAM map in LOL named, what was beaten there, and is trying to return, but whose appearance is never actually described? ;)

**For everyone not in the know, I have a FB group, a Twitter, and a Blog. The first two often carry status updates from me about writing, while the third has pictures and descriptions of various key elements to my stories (i.e., a picture of Riven and an explanation of who she is in this story.) Go check them out, you won't regret it! AND BE SURE TO COMMENT ON THEM!**

**As a random note, I am now reading and writing Riven's voice with the voice of a female Commander Shepard from Mass Effect...cause, you know, sexy badass leader soldier-type chicks, man...**

#################################

The Exiles

Chapter Three

Pantheons Assemble

#################################

Riven awoke to a warm body pressed against her side, bright sunlight, a gentle breeze, and the sound of birds chirping happily as they went about foraging for food. Disoriented, she looked around, wondering where she was. Abruptly, memories of the day before came flooding back to her and she pulled Thalia's slumbering form closer to her, seeking comfort from her warmth against their horrific onslaught. Her-girlfriend? Partner?- mumbled softly in her sleep and snuggled closer, pillowing her head on Riven's breasts as one arm encircled said girl's torso and held her close. Blushing instinctively but secretly enjoying the contact, Riven remained still save for gentle running her fingers along Thalia's back while she thought about the day before.

Clearly, she couldn't go ahead and ignore this war like she had wanted to. No, Kronos and his puppet Luke had made that impossible for her when they butchered her family like cattle and displayed them like trophies. No, now this was personal, but she needed more power! She wasn't strong enough to take on the Titan King's forces herself, and any demigods with anti-Olympus sentiments had already defected, so what could she do?

She could try and recruit some of Luke's, she supposed, and perhaps get a message to her closest friends from camp. She thought they might join her, especially since she didn't want Olympus destroyed. No, as much as she hated to admit it, the gods were necessary. What she wanted was some accountability on their part. Taking responsibility for their whoring about, watching over the earth as they were meant to, treating their found children right, etc. A bargaining chip, perhaps? She and any followers she garnered would save Olympus in return for oath-bound concessions? After all, she and Thalia were the Children of the Great Prophecy. Olympus _needed_ them to survive.

Oh yes, she knew about the Prophecy, despite everyone being hush-hush about it. She had overheard Chiron and Dionysus discussing it one night...

_Flashback!_

_ "Mr. D, you know they are the Children of Prophecy! They _need_ to receive advanced training!" Chiron was arguing emphatically to the lazy and dismissive former demigod, who merely sighed heavily._

_ "Listen, pony-man, Father doesn't want the sea spawn becoming too strong, so he will _not_ be getting extra training. Father will not allow Poseidon's child to pose a threat to him. His child Thalia will be the one of the Prophecy."_

_ "Mr. D, that's ludicrous! You heard the Prophecy!" Chiron retorted before reciting it. __**" Shattered, The Exile, Child Of One Of Three, Will Be Reforged By The Strength Of Many. Her companions, Sisters in Arms, Cousins By Blood. Guided By Ancients, Loved By All. Reunited, The Forsaken Will Return, And Preserve The Earth From Olympus' Failings." **_

_ "Like I said, Father is unwilling to risk Poseidon's brat getting too powerful. He may or may not be indicated in the Prophecy, but Father will ensure that it is Thalia who leads, not the boy." Dionysus said with an edge to his voice. "You are forbidden of speaking of this to either of them, and from letting them know through more circuitous means. Now, go run off and play with your brats."_

_Flashback Ends!_

She had left quickly before she could be discovered, but she had never forgotten the Prophecy. It was one of the reasons she had chosen her new name and title. She would not allow anyone or anything to control her future, her fate.

"The future is not set in stone. There is no fate but that which we make for ourselves." she murmured to herself, but jumped when dry, cackling laughter echoed through the clearing. Jumping, she jostled Thalia's head, waking the other girl instantly as Riven summoned Riptide, clutching a disoriented and vulnerable close for protection.

"Easy there, child. I mean you and your lover no harm." an elderly but strong and wise voice spoke as the Moirai appeared from between the trees. "We're here to help you."

"Right, because three old ladies that go around screwing up people's lives and then killing them are just wonderful people I want to listen to!" Riven snapped back, much to the apparent amusement of the Moirai and the terror of Thalia, who was worried that her girlfriend was about to get fried for disrespecting the Fates themselves.

"Calm yourself, child. We know you're not in the best of moods for many reasons, all of them good, but we are here to help you with the very issue you were mulling over not minutes ago." Clotho chastised gently, and Riven crooked an eyebrow.

"Not the best of moods? I've been turned into a girl, I'm sore and achy, I have a migraine, my parents got tortured and butchered like animals, I'm the key to saving I bunch of arrogant whores who are useless for anything positive, and I'm on the run from my _dear_ grandfather who wants my head on a platter!" she retorted, as the wind began to whip and swirl, and clouds began to gather rapidly. Her voice rose as she continued. "And the best you can say is that I'm "NOT IN THE BEST OF MOODS?"

"Enough!" the Moirai barked in unison, flaring their own incredible auras and shocking Riven out of her anger. Immediately, the clouds cleared and the sun shone again, leaving the two demi-gods blinking at the three wizened beings. Clotho sighed heavily and continued. "Riven, we know that you are frightened and feeling abandoned, but the world still turns. We," here she indicated to herself and her sisters. "Need your help. In due time, members of other pantheons will present themselves to you, and test you. Should you pass the tests, you and yours will gain power beyond anything you could dream of. Power enough to make your desires reality."

"What's in it for you?" Thalia asked suspiciously, eyeing the three of them. "Sounds like you're offering a lot of power for nothing in return. What's your angle?"

"You help us, we all get what we want. You get the power to achieve your goals and protect your siblings, we get to keep the world spinning." Atropos said bluntly, and Lachesis sighed at her.

"What my sister is saying is that the ruling pantheon cannot be trusted to protect the earth from the threats rising against it. Gaea is stirring, as are Apophis, the Jotuns, and more besides. The time of Prophecy is at hand, and _you_ must be prepared to stand, Riven The Exile. You came into this world to protect it. It is time to begin fulfilling that purpose." she elaborated, and Riven blinked at them before groaning and rubbing a hand over her face.

"So, let me get this straight. According to you, I am destined to protect this planet from all enemies foreign and domestic, and that is the entire reason I was ever born, so gods from a bunch of pantheons will just show up and start teaching me to be some sort of all-powerful guardian-person?" she asked, and the Moirai nodded slightly in unison. Riven deadpanned perfectly in reply. "Bullshit. Tell Olympus that if they want me back, they're going to need to use force. C'mon, 'Lia, let's go."

With that, and ignoring the shocked looks on the three Fates' faces, the bronze-skinned demigoddess turned on her heel, slung her pack onto her shoulders and started walking away. Thalia glanced at the trio before shrugging and doing the same, quickly catching up with her lover.

"Well, sisters, I can't say that I remember us being told of so...boldly and bluntly before. Even the gods give us fearful respect." Clotho said after a long moment, sounding slightly proud.

"It was rather...refreshing actually." Atropos said, sounding surprised by her own words. "Reminds me of back when Odin All-Father found out that we had fated Loki to turn against him. My, I never knew a king could be so..._vulgar_."

"Or so inventive." Lachesis agreed with a nod, before glancing in the direction the two half-humans had left in. "So...what shall we do about this?"

"The other pantheons will take it from here. We Fates simply watch from here on out." Clotho said definitively before vanishing along with her sisters.

#################################

"Riven, are you sure that being so, well, rude to the Fates themselves was such a good idea?" Thalia asked tentatively after several minutes, and said demigoddess snorted angrily.

"I don't care one way or the other. I will control my own fate! I am no one's puppet, no one's soldier, no one's shield! I fight for what I believe in and the people I love. Nothing more and nothing less!" she growled angrily, running a hand threw silver locks.

_**"Well said, Riven Exilia, child of Greece." **_a deep, yet somehow feminine voice, rumbled. Riven's hand flicked out, suddenly filled with Riptide, while Thalia was a few moments slower to summon her shield and spear, as a tall dark-skinned woman with the head of a lion, naked save for a sheer loincloth covering her crotch and a quiver of arrows on her back. A golden bow was in her right hand, but was not raised in preparation to attack.

"We agreed to wait!" another feminine voice spoke up as a black-haired woman wearing tight armor with fur trim, and wielding a sword, came into view. Slowly, several more filtered into view, each with varying appearances.

"I'll be damned, they were telling the truth..." Riven breathed, staring around at the group of women, and one of them, a Oriental looking woman with knee-length black hair dressed in a pure white _kimono_ snorted in annoyance.

"Of course they were, child! What, did you think we would leave the world to die just because you're about to have your first period?" she chastised, and Thalia blinked at them before looking at her lover.

"Riven...?" she asked, trailing off, and the silver-haired warrior shook her head to clear it before pointing at the lion-headed lady.

"Sekhmet, the Mistress of Dread. The goddess of war and healing for ancient Egypt. Said to be the greatest hunter of all time, she is also said to hunt all the evils of the world at the behest of Ra." Riven answered, an Thalia froze in disbelief.

_"Egypt? _But how?!" she cried, and Sekhmet growled in annoyance.

**"Surely you don't think your Greek gods always ruled? No, they are the latest of a long line. They still rule because they are the most recent true pantheon in human history. They are no greater than the rest of us."** she rumbled her displeasure, and Riven laid a hand on a now-trembling Thalia's shoulder.

"Leave her be, until a few months ago she was a foolish follower of Olympus stuck in a tree by her father." she said warningly, and Sekhmet hissed in amusement, her bad mood suddenly vanishing.

**"I like you child. I've decided, I shall teach the both of you the ways of the Egyptian god-warriors. Our version of your demi-gods."**

"Sekhmet, we agreed we would all test them!" a fire-haired (literally) Oriental woman, dressed similarly to her cultural compatriot, chastised.

**"Bah, test them all you like Amaterasu, but I shall aid them regardless. My Lord Ra gave me the choice, and I have chosen." **the One Before Whom Evil Trembles replied with a casual shrug.

"Each of us will test them in our own way. Now, let us begin..."

The two demigods glanced at each other and whimpered slightly as their new acquaintances closed in on them.

"Mercy...?" Riven pleaded, and they smirked together, shaking their heads.

#################################

The pair of newly tested and abused demigods lay in groaning heaps before the pleased and unruffled goddesses, and Sif sighed happily as she cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders.

"Ah, I haven't had a good fight like that in a long time. It's just no fun fighting my fellow Asgardians anymore, we know all of each other's techniques and skills." she said cheerfully, and Riven chuckled dryly as she sat up, wincing.

"I'm glad that you're so pleased to have new people to pound on, Sif. I would hate to let you get bored." she mumbled as she scooted over to Thalia and started checking her girlfriend over. "You doing okay, 'Lia?"

"I'm still alive, more or less." the daughter of Zeus groaned unhappily, although she enjoyed the soothing feeling of her lover's hands checking her wounds. A feeling of coolness washed over her, making her gasp slightly, before moaning as her wounds stopped hurting and faded away. She looked over to see Riven, a look of concentration on her face, guiding water out of a water bottle across her injuries. Thalia was struck breathless, both at the power and skill her girlfriend was exhibiting with her powers, but also with the intensity of her concern and desire to make her feel better that was showing on her face. It made her feel warm, and precious, and was downright sexy too.

"So, did we pass your tests?" Riven asked in a clipped town as she checked Thalia for more injuries. The various immortals exchanged glances, recognizing both the tone and its cause, as well as the lack of care for an answer in her tone. The young mortal didn't care whether she had their approval or not.

"Yes, you have, for the most part." Amaterasu said finally, and Riven gave a short, choppy nod.

"Fine. We will help with this plan of yours to protect the world, but I want things in return." she stated firmly, and the godly beings exchanged glances again. "I need power, a lot of it, to be able to perform this mission of yours. I need recruits, with multiple skill-sets. I need time displacement fields of some sort. We have maybe 18 months before Thalia and I turn 16, and the fate of Olympus is decided. I want my people to be prepared. I won't send them to be cannon fodder like the gods prefer to. They will be as well-trained as possible before we fight. We need someplace to use as a base, and I have just the idea. I need some smith-god children for it, though."

"Power you will have, if you prove worthy . But for now..." Sif said, before vanishing into the trees. There was a yelp and scuffling before she reappeared, dragging a raven-haired girl dressed in black armor into the clearing by her collar. Dumping her in the middle of the group, she drew her sword and presented it to the girl's throat. "For now, you will tell us who you are, who you serve, and why you are listening in on us."

"Hold on..." Riven murmured, moving closer to the girl and trying to get a better look at her. Eyes widening, she breathed. "Bianca?"

And it was indeed the daughter of Hades, looking up at Sif with a face carved from stone, eyes hard. She looked a little worse for wear, her armor scuffed and smudged with dirt, her hair having twigs and leaves in it, both from Sif's rough handling of her and from her own trekking through the dense forest.

"I'm going to assume that you're the child of Poseidon that I've been looking for ages." Bianca growled, sounding rather displeased. "Do you know how long I've been tracking you? Even with help from my father and the Furies, I could barely find any signs of you."

"So, you've found us, huh? Where is your man-hating Mistress and tree-hugger buddies?" Riven narrowed her eyes, looking around the clearing as if expecting the aforementioned people jump out of the bushes to haul her back to Camp Half-Blood.

"I left the Hunt not long after I found out what _she_ had done to you. I...I had deluded myself into thinking that she was better than the stories make her appear. I...I thought that I had finally found a place to belong. But honestly, I felt more at home on that quest with you in charge than I ever have in the Hunt. My place is with you and Thalia.'' Bianca replied honestly, and Riven exchanged glances with Thalia that spoke volumes. After a long moment, the Goth girl nodded slightly and Riven sighed before offering a hand to the slumped girl, who stared at it for a long moment.

"Come on, don't sit there all day. We've got work to do." Riven said impatiently.

"Thank you...?" Bianca trailed off, unsure of what to call her, and she grinned.

"Riven, Riven Exilia. The Exile. That's my new name." she answered the unspoken question, and Bianca grasped her hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"Thank you, Riven." she said softly, before looking around at the surrounding deities. "Please, teach me as well. I owe Riven everything, and it's time I repaid the debt."

"You used to be a Hunter of the Moon, yes?" Sif double-checked, and at Bianca's nod hummed to herself before continuing. "Alright, I think we can skip the majority of the testing for you, since Artemis will have taught you plenty. Now, we need to get you girls to the training grounds for our pantheons."

With that, Sif placed her hand on Thalia's shoulder, while Tsukiyoumi did the same for Bianca and Sekhmet grabbed Riven. A blaze of light later, and the clearing was empty. Moments later, Hestia flashed into the clearing and looked around frantically. Giving a shout of anger and worry, she flashed away again, leaving a large scorch mark in the center of it.

#################################

"So you all pooled your demigods together instead of separating them?" Riven asked curiously, as she and her two friends followed the group of goddesses through the camp, ignoring the curious stares and murmurings of said demigods as a crowd began to form and follow them towards the center of camp.

"Yes. Unlike the Greek and Roman gods, we refuse to allow our children to fight and kill each other simply because our peoples may not have gotten along all that well once upon a time. There are too few of them as it is without wasting their lives in petty squabbling. Not to mention fighting each other puts the world itself at risk." Amaterasu answered, smiling at several of her children that they were passing.

"As it should be." Bianca murmured, Thalia voicing her own agreement a heartbeat later. Riven herself nodded silently as they arrived at what was clearly the main gathering point of the camp, a large stage-like structure in front of a hall-sized building that was an interesting blend of Japanese, Norse, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian architecture. Amaterasu led the group up onto the stage, where the goddesses took the fore as their children filled the grassy expanse before them.

"Hello, sons and daughters of us all." the Japanese Goddess of the Sun said with a warm smile, looking around at them all, showing favoritism to none. The crowd murmured their own replies back, and she looked at her compatriots before continuing. "As you know, many of our ancient enemies are stirring," she paused again as the crowd nodded and various sounds of assent and worry filtered forward. Smiling reassuringly, she kept speaking. "As are the ancient foes of other pantheons, but do not lose hope. Myself, along with the others, have been guided by The Fates themselves to the trio of young women standing behind me. One of whom is the Child of Prophecy. Riven, if you please?"

Blinking in surprise, Riven shook her apprehension aside and stepped forward, taking the podium from the goddess. Staring out over the sea of curious, and in some cases unwelcoming faces, she reminded herself why she was here, and why she agreed to this.

To keep people from going through what she did.

"Hello, all of you." she spoke finally, voice echoing over the still and silent crowd. "My name is Riven Exilia, daughter of the Greek god Poseidon."

That certainly got a reaction, with several demigods shuffling slightly and exchanging glances with friends, while a faint murmuring swept through the crowd.

"Many of you want to know why I am here. What purpose a member of the ruling pantheon's forces has doing here. I assure you that this isn't a prelude to war, or an invasion, or anything of the like." she continued, noting the suspicion and disbelief on many faces in the crowd. "I am, myself, along with my two friends here, on the run from the pantheon of Olympus. We three refuse to take part in a system that reduces demigods from the children of their parents, to be cherished and cared for, to expendable cannon fodder in solving the problems of the gods. Twice now, I have defied prophecy to save the lives of people I care about. Many times I have nearly been killed, either directly by the gods or by fellow demigods, because of rifts and differences of opinion, because of desire for power or greed of position."

The watching crowd could feel nothing but disgust as they listened to her speak, either because of who she was and what she represented, or because of what she was describing. All of them, however, acknowledged that she appeared to be a good speaker, and sincere.

"No more. No longer will I allow my friends and family to kill each other or be killed because of petty rivalries. No longer will I allow the gods to use us as weapons for their power plays and childish tantrums. We are living beings, people with lives, and hopes, and dreams, and it is our _right _to live those lives, to strive for those hopes, and achieve those dreams! To shape the stories of our lives, and to live as we choose with only the fates that _we _had a hand in making!"

At the end of what was meant to be a mere introduction, Riven was breathing heavily, fists clenched and eyes bright with determination and passion as she stared at the crowd, which was watching her in wide eyed silence. Reining herself in, Riven sighed and turned her back on the crowd and started to walk away, only to stop at the sound of cheering and applause. Shocked, she turned back to face her fellow demigods to see the majority of them looking at her with respect and even a little awe as they cheered and applauded her words. Glancing at Amaterasu, she asked a silent question with her eyes. At the goddesses nod, she stepped back up to the podium and held up her hands for silence. The crowd quieted quickly, and she spoke again.

"I thank you for that. I had not meant to speak any speeches, nor even to speak of this for some time, but I am here to train with you, learn from you, and in time, ask you to join me in my fight to protect the world the right way. To protect our families, our homes, and everything we cherish. So, I am announcing the creation of a new faction to wage war. Created by demigods, led by demigods, composed of demigods fighting together for tomorrow. Think about it. I'll always be available to talk to if need be."

This time, she did step completely away, as Bianca and Thalia introduced themselves in turn, before Sif stepped forward to speak.

"Now, we goddesses need to return to our domains for a time. However, we are asking each of you to help train these three in your fighting styles. Help them find the one that speaks to them the most. Cabin Leaders, remain for a few minutes, please. The rest of you, dismissed!"

The crowd broke up, chatting with each other about the new developments as they dispersed to return to whatever tasks they had left behind, save for eight, who approached the platform as Sif turned to Riven, Thalia, and Bianca.

"The cabin leaders will help get you settled and start showing you the ropes. Once you figure out what weapons and techniques suit you most, crush these stones," she instructed, handing each of them a small, brightly colored rock. "And we will return here to gift you with equipment and take you for advanced training, as agreed."

"Alright, then." Riven nodded her farewell to the deities before gesturing for Thalia and Bianca to follow her as she headed off the platform, towards the waiting cabin leaders.

"Nice to meet you Riven, Thalia, Bianca. My name is Chigaru, male cabin leader for the Egyptian cabin." said a brown-skinned young man with black hair and eyes. Gesturing to a girl with similar features, he continued. "This is Eshe, my female counterpart."

"A pleasure." the young white-haired woman replied with a short bow, glancing at the next pair, who stepped forward.

"My name is Kenshin, male head of the Japanese cabin. This is Ai, my own counterpart." the boy said with a deep bow, as Ai did so behind him. Both had brown hair and eyes, as well as an air of calm and wisdom to them that seemed at odds with their relatively young age. The trio of Greeks returned the bows respectfully, and Thalia murmured a greeting in Japanese, surprising the pair.

"You study other languages, Thalia Grace?" Ai asked, curious, and Thalia grimaced slightly.

"Much to my father's displeasure, yes. I always liked to study other nations spear techniques, but the Japanese _naginata_ has always drawn me the most. However, my father gave me my current spear, and I doubt asking for one based off of another nation would have gone over very well."

"I see. Come see myself sometime, I myself use the _naginata_ as my preferred weapon." Ai offered, and Thalia's face lit up and she smiled at the petite Oriental looking girl and thanked her profusely.

"I am called Sigurd. My companion is Dawn. We are the leaders of the Norse cabin." a tall and broad shouldered blond with bright blue eyes grunted, arms crossed over his chest, nodding to the equally tall, but lithe, brunette with ice-blue eyes at his side, who nodded in greeting.

"I am Zannanza of the Mesopotamian cabin, beautiful maiden. My companion is called Hadi. But don't worry, we have no romantic attachments to each other." purred a blond haired and brown eyed young man, taking Riven's hand and kissing it with an exageratted bow, and Thalia felt a swell of jealousy at his over the top flirtation. However, the flirt was spared her wrath when Hadi landed a solid punch to his ribs, causing him to release the aforementioned hand and stagger away slightly, clutching his abused ribs.

"Ignore the letch. He flirts with every girl he comes across." Hadi told the Greek trio, who eyed her warm and friendly smile with caution, having just seen her land a powerful blow.

"I'll keep that in mind. Don't really like boys anyway." Riven replied with a shrug, before turning to look at the camp. "Sif told me you could show us around?"

"That's Lady Sif to you, Greek." Sigurd glared, and Riven turned her head to stare into his eyes for a long, long moment. Much to the shock of his fellow campers, it was he who lowered his eyes first, bowing his head slightly in respect.

"As I said, Sif told us to have you show us around. We have a lot of work to do, and not alot of time to do it." Riven said calmly, looking away from the cowed Norseman, and Kenshin stepped up with a small smile.

"Please, follow me Miss Riven." he said easily, and Riven nodded, Thalia and Bianca falling in at her shoulders naturally as they followed the Japanese demigod on his tour of their new home.

#################################

there you are, chapter three. As you can see, things will be accelerating kind of quickly due to the time constraints on our heroines. However, once we hit a certain point, we will slow down again, so stay with meh :)


End file.
